


The Littlest Companion

by orphan_account



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-22
Updated: 2012-04-22
Packaged: 2017-11-04 02:59:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/388934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shepard buys a space hamster and names it Kaidan. Dedicated to nyx and the lovely people at shenkobutts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Littlest Companion

Upon hearing that his crew had split up, Shepard was upset but not the least bit surprised. Having learned a few hours ago that he had indeed died-- well it’s not like he had expected his crew to just wait around on the off chance that he’d be brought back to life.  
  
“Kaidan Alenko is still with the Alliance,” Illusive Man stated in response to Shepard’s question. “Although, last I heard, he was stationed out in a Terminus colony.”  
  
Shepard frowned. “Why would they put Kaidan out there?”  
  
The Illusive Man exhaled, smoke pooling around his face. “We’re not sure, but the Alliance must have a reason for doing so. However, you shouldn’t concern yourself with Lieutenant Alenko. There are more pressing matters at hand.”  
  
Bright, eerie eyes peered at him, their unnatural glow piercing through a haze of digital smoke. Shepard grimaced, not quite satisfied with the answer nor his current situation, but kept quiet knowing there was nothing he could do about either.  
  
++  
  
Having an old friend onboard again did wonders for Shepard’s state of mind. Knowing that there was always someone nearby who truly had your back was a luxury the commander didn’t realize was missing until now. He also appreciated the bad jokes and biting sense of humor that was Garrus Vakarian.  
  
“You’re not really going to buy that issue of Fornax, are you?” the turian asked, a little baffled.  
  
Pointedly, Shepard scrolled past that option on the store’s list and mock scowled at Garrus. “No, I’m just browsing,” he clarified. There were weapon mods aplenty and a few armor upgrades, but nothing spectacular. Uninterested, Shepard was about to close the store terminal when something caught his eye. Garrus too, apparently.  
  
The turian blinked at him. “Really, Shepard? A space hamster? That is probably the one creature in this entire galaxy with a shorter life expectancy than yours.”  
  
Shepard didn’t reply, and instead, placed an order with requisitions for the small rodent to be delivered to the Normandy before they left the Citadel. Garrus gave him a puzzled look, but upon seeing Shepard’s wistful expression, he didn’t press him further.  
  
++  
  
It was one day cycle after they had left the Citadel that Ken asked him about the hamster. “I heard you got a space hamsters, commander. I had one me-self when I was just a boy, you know. He was an adorable little thing. Small paws, all round and furry. I sure do miss McTavish sometimes.”  
  
“You named your hamster McTavish?” Gabby sputtered. “That’s such a ridiculous name, Ken. “  
  
Ken just shrugged it off like he did with Gabby most of the time. “What about you, commander? Gotta name for the little one yet?”  
  
Shepard nodded. “Yeah. Kaidan.”  
  
Gabby and Ken glanced at each other, not quite sure of the significance, with Ken turning back to the commander to remark, “Well, that’s…an interesting name. I hope Kaidan is good to you and will keep you company.”  
  
And as Shepard made his way back to the lift, he could hear Gabby berating Ken for making it seem like the commander never left his room and that his only companion was a space hamster, but Shepard honestly didn’t mind.  
  
Stepping through the doorway into his quarters, Shepard smiled at Kaidan, and he peeped in return.  
  
++  
  
That last mission could have gone smoother, in Shepard’s opinion. It wasn’t the first time he had faced down greater odds than he thought he could handle, but the team dynamic was off, which left them relatively handicapped. Miranda was a great soldier and asset to the team, and Shepard knew he could trust Garrus with his life, but with his whole crew being so new and divided, it was hard to coordinate their way through the battlefield, and Shepard found himself-- along with Garrus and Miranda-- in the medbay after the mission. Later on, he’d crawled back up to his cabin, collapsed against the wall—careful not to disturb his wounds, and stood under the spray of his shower for a good half an hour, thinking about how different things would have been with Kaidan there.  
  
Shepard wrapped a towel around his hips and made to go check the messages at his terminal when a flash of brown stopped him in his tracks. “What the…?”  
  
He looked down and saw nothing. Blinking, his eyes scanned the floor until the brown spot appeared again, darting out from under his desk chair.  
  
“Oh for crying-- Kaidan!” Shepard knelt down and scooped the hamster up off the floor. He had left the top of the hamster cage open-- since he felt like putting it on would make Kaidan feel trapped, but the crafty bastard wanted out so bad, he still managed to pull off an escape despite Shepard’s show of kindness. As he carried Kaidan back to the cage, the hamster peeped and scuffled about in his hands in protest.  
  
“What, you don’t want back in yet?” The hamster quivered and Shepard sighed, exasperated. “Alright,” he conceded and set the ball of fur down on his desk. “But only for a few minutes.”  
  
Shepard went about reading his messages. There was one from the Illusive Man, something about recruiting a master thief which he glossed over and archived for later. Another was from Emily Wong, and a third from Councilor Sparatus which he was halfway through reading when Kaidan peeped. Shepard looked up to see…Kaidan.  
  
There was a picture of the biotic, framed and sitting neatly on the corner of his desk. Shepard was surprised to have found the photo-- most likely taken by Jenkins-- amongst the ruins of the Normandy SR-1. Hamster-Kaidan was perched in front of the frame, pawing curiously at human-Kaidan’s handsome face. Shepard smiled sadly and looked back up at the photo.  
  
“I wish you were here Kaidan.” Hamster-Kaidan peeked back at Shepard curiously as he spoke. “I could really use you right now, to have you back at my side.” Shepard frowned and shook his head. “Who am I kidding?” he grumbled, and scooped up his hamster. “Come on, Kaidan. Time to go back in the cage. Don’t give me that look.”  
  
++  
  
Horizon had him worn down.  
  
Shepard raked his fingers across his scalp, pressing his palms flat against his temples to rub out the stress. It didn’t make him feel any better. He sighed, picking up the datapad sitting on his desk only to drop it back down. There was no way he’d be able to concentrate enough to read through the mission summary, even more so when they recounted each painful detail of the Horizon mission.  
  
Kaidan poked his nose out from under a pile of woodchips and pawed at the glass wall of his cage, demanding Shepard’s attention. He turned around to look at the little creature, bug eyed and quivering and nothing at all like the man he was named after. Shepard sighed and gently lifted the hamster out of his cage, allowing him to scuttle about the palm of his hand.  
  
“Goddammit, Kaidan,” Shepard huffed. The hamster twitched an ear at him. Shepard was a bit confused himself as to why he’d taken Kaidan the hamster home that day. Sure, he’d always wanted a pet as a kid, and feeding the fish-- and taking a few minutes to let himself sit in the blue glow of the tank-- helped him unwind after a tough mission. Having the hamster, however, only brought painful memories to the surface. The commander had expressed this to Kelly previously when she asked about Kaidan’s name.  
  
She had tapped at her chin and remarked thoughtfully, “Pets are cute and easy to love. That’s probably what you needed, and still need now, Commander. People derive pleasure and satisfaction from acts of love. Maybe Kaidan does bring back painful memories, but he’s also the target of your affections.”  
  
He had replied that while time for love would be nice, there were more pressing matters at hand.  
  
“You are part of the galaxy we are trying to save, sir,” Kelly said pointedly. “Don’t forget to take care of yourself. If that means doing something to make yourself happy, then go for it, Commander.”  
  
He began to wonder when his crew began giving him advice instead of things being the other way around, until Kaidan decided to latch onto Shepard’s index finger with his sharp teeth.  
  
“Fuck! Kaidan! This is the last time I am carrying you around…,” he cursed and gently set the hamster back into his cage. Kaidan just pawed at the glass.  
  
++  
  
One year later and Kelly’s words still rang clear in Shepard’s mind.  
  
Go for it, Commander.  
  
He took the seat across from Kaidan at the table-- and it was a funny sight, two men grinning nervously at each other like high school students in the middle of the Presidium Commons-- and decided that he would.  
  
++  
  
“So, you named him Kaidan?” the major laughed more than spoke. He held the hamster in one hand and dangled a treat over its head with the other. Hamster-Kaidan peeped. “I’m hurt, Shepard. In my absence you go and recruit a space hamster? Are my combat skills really that bad?”  
  
“It’s not like that,” Shepard said in his defense, but he knew Kaidan was only teasing him. “He was just here to keep me company when you weren’t…” he trailed off, not wanting to open old wounds, but Kaidan smiled, warm and lovingly at him and it reassured Shepard enough to smile back.  
  
“Keep you company, huh? I certainly hope he couldn’t keep you company like this,” the biotic teased, moving forward to pull the other man up against him. Shepard couldn’t help laughing, but it quickly turned into a groan as Kaidan worked his hands under the N7 hoodie. “Hope I haven’t actually been replaced.”  
  
He leaned forward, catching Kaidan’s mouth in a quick kiss before pulling back with a smile. “No one, Kaidan. No one could ever replace you.” And it was awfully corny, but Kaidan was smiling again, and for Shepard, that was all he needed.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [nyx](http://nyx-pix.tumblr.com) and a huge thanks to the people at [shenkobutts](http://tinychat.com/shenkobutts) for always being supportive and just awesome in general.


End file.
